From Tel Aviv to Tiberias, with a stop at Armegedon.

The Mediteranian Coast at Cesarrea

Pieces of statues unearthed at Cesarrea

An archway at the Ampetheater, strengthened with the engineering of an egg.

Near the Hippodrome

Wonderful fruit and sweets. The persimons were so good.

Lovely grilled vegetables, it's very easy to eat healthy here.

And easy to eat no so healthy too.

Tsion Ben David blessign the wine and bread.

This morning we started in Tel Aviv, Breakfast at the David Intercontinental Hotel was a fabulous array of fruits, like dates, figs, plums, pears, melon and berries. Smoked salmon and other fish were prepared to perfection and there were many vegetables, hummus, cheese and eggs. The cappuccino is so smooth and rich and the service was fantastic. The serve Lemonade here like it’s water, but in fact it is mostly lemon juice and sugar…with very little water. It’s so delicious, especially with sprigs of mint.

After breakfast, we left Tel Aviv and went to Caesarea. There, we visited the Amphitheater, The Hippodrome, some bath houses and other BC architecture. Much of it has been reconstructed after war or earthquakes but it is still older than the relics in the western world.

From Caesarea we drove to Tel Megiddo, the future site of Armageddon. We had a wonderful lunch of vegetables and chicken, fish or meatballs. After lunch we toured the ruins of the civilizations that were once on this Tel. There were 26 that they know of, and the remnants of the past are beyond words. The most impressive, is the spring-fed water works, built in 10 BCE. A large pit with 183 stairs led down 35 M, and an 80M tunnel led to the spring under the bedrock. The spring was the source of water of the city and allowed it to survive long sieges. This system overcame a problem where the spring was initially located outside the walls, and the secret passage enabled the defenders to tap into fresh water without the knowledge of the enemy.  During peaceful times the spring was also accessed from outside the walls, but during siege this entrance was blocked and camouflaged. At the end, we only had to climb up 80 steps to the surface. I am definitely going to up my work-out at home. If I can do that and survive, I can certainly push myself a bit harder.

From there we traveled to Nazareth, some most of our group visited the Church of the Annunciation, where some Franciscan Catholics believe Mary found out she was going to have a baby. I enjoyed seeing the church from the outside, but decided to stay behind and watch life in 21^st Century Nazareth for a bit. The people who live in Nazareth are not primarily Jewish. It is mostly inhabited by Arab Christians…however, many mosques are being erected in some areas of Nazareth. I enjoyed visiting in a store owned by Christian Arabs while I was there. It was wonderful to see an obvious Christian presence in Jesus’ home town. I felt entirely safe and entirely welcome among the Arabs on the City’s street. Of course, it might have been because our driver, Samuel, pronounced like Shamool. Went into the store where I shopped, and told them to keep an eye on me because they were leaving but would be back for me. It was very cool to watch him arrange for my safety, just in case it was needed.

After the rest of the group returned from the church we drove out of Nazareth. On the way we passed Mary’s Well. Which is the place claimed by the Greek Orthodox church to have been where Mary was told of her role in bringing Jesus to His people.

The entire country is a living history book, truly every rock, every layer; even the air brings a lesson in history, theology and the sovereignty of God. (He-Shem)

We arrived to our hotel in Tiberius just as the sun was setting, ushering the beginning of Shabbat, the Sabbath. The sky grew dark quite quickly, but the sounds of the Sea of Galilee lapping at the banks of Tiberius and the music and chanted prayers of Hebrew Worship made a wonderful back drop as we prepared to go to dinner. I walked out on the patio off my room; the stars were coming out and could see Draco and Orion’s Belt overhead. Suddenly it hit me; I was seeing them, not as I had seen them from home, hundreds of times…but from the same spot that Jesus, and the Disciples and Mary… What an amazing gift to gaze at the stars from the place where the maker of the stars once enjoyed their light.

An amazing buffet of delicious foods greeted us after the blessing of the wine and bread for Shabbat. Our guide, Tsion Ben David blessed the items for us. It was very interesting to me, that the wine and the bread were so vital. And, are the same elements that represent the body and blood of Christ in Christianity.

After dinner, Amber and I walked down the shoreline in front of our hotel for a few minutes. It was perfect…Now, back in my room, I have my glass door opened to the sea and a light breeze is rustling through the date palms on the shore. It’s been a great day in the Holy Land…and we are looking forward to an amazing tomorrow.